Dual Early Childhood and Early Childhood Intervention Specialist

The Patton College of Education offers a Master’s Degree in Education with dual licensure in the following areas: Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Intervention Specialist (ECIS) ages 3-8/prekindergarten-grade 3, respectively. The program meets the Ohio teacher licensure requirements and is available for teachers who already have licensure in one of the following areas: early childhood education, elementary education, special education, or a related field approved by the cohort facilitator. The curricular focus of the dual licensure master’s program at Ohio University centers on the development of advanced knowledge, skills, and dispositions that meet the diverse needs of all learners 0-8 years with and without disabilities.

The mission of the Dual Licensure Master’s Degree program in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is to utilize most current adult learning principles to increase the quantity and quality of ECE/ECSE teachers, and to improve services and outcomes for children ages birth to 8 and their families. The program faculty will do this by supporting teacher leaders to utilize advanced knowledge, skills, and dispositions to (a) identify delays and disabilities early, (b) implement reflective and responsive interventions that are child-centered and aligned with research and theory to young children with and without disabilities birth to 8 years, and (c) enhance teacher candidates’ capacities to support children’s families in interacting positively and responsively to their children. Our teacher candidates are prepared to implement respectful and culturally responsive services and supports to children from diverse backgrounds (e.g., socioeconomic, racial, linguistic, learning needs) across a variety of settings (i.e., home, school, and community). This program is aligned with the following professional standards: Council for Exceptional Children, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices, Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession, Ohio Leadership Advisory Council, and Ohio Improvement Program.

PROGRAM EXPECTATIONSThis program is an asynchronous online program, meaning that candidates are not required to access the course sessions and materials at a specific time of the week. However, faculty in the program put forth extensive time and effort into developing the course materials and it is expected that candidates engage with course content to maximize their learning through the program. This includes reading course materials, reviewing narrated PowerPoint lectures, watching videos, participating in engagement activities, and completing course assignments.

admission requirementsAll admissions information and applications are completed online at www.ohio.edu/graduate. All applications will be reviewed holistically, however, prospective master’s candidates must submit:

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent.

Have an undergraduate overall GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 grade scale.

Have a valid teaching license number (or anticipated date of submitting for one)

Two satisfactory recommendations from faculty and/or professionals who know you as a student or employee.

A statement of personal/professional reasons for seeking this degree (writing sample)

In addition to maintaining a 3.0 GPA and earning no less than a C in an course in the program, the following standards have also been established as retention and graduation requirements for the program.

FIRST SUMMER SEMESTER
In the term prior to any experience in the schools (your first summer semester), candidates must obtain a background check from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and FBI (if non-Ohio resident) through the Ohio University Police Department (or a fingerprint center in your area) and send results to the Office of Student Affairs at Ohio University's Patton College of Education. Candidates must develop and submit their Master’s Program of Study to the Cohort Facilitator. The Program of Study must be typed into the readable PDF document.

FALL SEMESTER
Candidates should discuss with the Cohort Facilitator their idea(s) for the Master’s Research Project. Candidates should obtain their support for the proposed research idea. In collaboration with the Cohort Facilitator, candidates should select an individual from this program’s faculty who will serve as the Master’s Research Project advisor.

Candidates should determine the setting in which they will collect data for the Master’s Research Project. Candidates are responsible for checking the school/district’s policies regarding whether they need to submit a Human Subjects Review application to their district's Institutional Review Board (IRB) in addition to Ohio University’s or if Ohio University’s IRB covers all of the research requirements.

SPRING SEMESTER

In collaboration with the instructor for EDTE 6670: Teacher as Action Researcher and the Master’s Research Project advisor, candidates should successfully develop their Master’s Research project, ensuring that it focuses on strategies that can improve the learning and development of all children and includes child-level outcomes as a dependent variable.

Candidates must develop and submit their Human Subjects Review application to Ohio University’s IRB and the school/district’s IRB (if applicable) to obtain permission to conduct their Master’s Research Project (as early as possible during the spring semester). Candidates must include their Master’s Research Project advisor on their IRB application. https://www.ohio.edu/research/compliance/

Once IRB approval has been obtained, candidates should follow their study procedures and collect the necessary data for their Master’s Research Project.

SECOND SUMMER SEMESTER
Candidates must successfully write their Master’s Research Project Report.

TUITION & FINANCIAL AIDPlease visit the Office of the Bursar Tuition Schedule for current tuition and fees. Ohio University Faculty and Staff should contact us before registering. Students planning to enroll in courses for Summer Semester 2018 will need to complete the 2018-2019 FAFSA application. The Ohio University school code is 003100. Graduate students can be offered up to $20,500 per year in the Unsubsidized Direct Loan. For further questions about financial aid, please e-mail financial.aid.elearn@ohio.edu.

Our next cohort is scheduled to begin this summer. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2019 for a summer start. For additional questions, please e-mail us: specialeducation@ohio.edu

*Please note: This program requires 2 practicum experiences of 60 field hours each. These experiences will need to be with 2 different age groups (0-3, 3-5, or 5-8) and 2 different settings (school, community, or home).